Surprisingly, an enormous chunk of the MCU is missing from Disney+’s launch day content. Disney recently announced the full lineup of movies and TV shows that will go live on Disney+ when the streaming service launches on November 12, but the list leaves out dozens if not hundreds of movies and TV shows.
Last Updated: November 7, 2019
One of the biggest selling points of Disney+ is its original content. Disney+ will be the home of several new TV shows, including seven from Marvel Studios that will connect directly with the MCU, along with Star Wars, Disney, and other types of movies and TV shows that will release on the service over the years. But while Disney+ is loaded with original programming, its big draw at the start is the company’s back catalogue.
Those who have subscribed to Disney+ will have access to a multitude of movies and TV shows owned by Disney, including properties of Marvel, Pixar, and 20th Century Fox. And of course, movies in the MCU will also be available, but the only MCU movies that can be streamed as early as Disney+’s launch date are Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Captain Marvel., and Avengers: Endgame. Here are all the MCU movies that won’t be immediately available on Disney+.
Iron Man 2
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk, which starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, is a special case with Marvel Studios and Disney. The Hulk film rights still belong with Universal Studios, who distributed the film. For this reason, The Incredible Hulk will most likely never be added to Disney+.
Thor
Long before he was an Avenger, a Guardian of the Galaxy, or a gladiator on planet Skaar, Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder was an arrogant Asgardian warrior stranded on Earth in 2011’s Thor. It’s possible that Thor’s Disney+ launch date will end up coinciding with the new Disney+ series, Loki, which is expected in the spring of 2021.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers made his debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, a period piece that pits the Sentinel of Liberty against the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and the forces of Hydra in World War II. Like Thor, Cap’s first movie won’t be available on Disney+, at least not right away.
The Avengers
The Avengers - the movie that united Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye for the first time ever - is perhaps the most noteworthy omission from Disney+, considering that it was Marvel’s first big team-up movie. The $1.5 billion box office hit won’t be on Disney+ in November, and no release date is in sight.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Upon its release, Captain America’s second solo movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, became one of the MCU’s best-reviewed movies. When it will arrive on Disney+ is hard to say, but it could be that Disney may want it to line up with the release of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the fall of 2020, since it focuses on characters related to Captain America.
Captain America: Civil War
With a worldwide box office total of $1.153 billion, Captain America: Civil War is the highest grossing film of 2016. Civil War is the movie that split the Avengers apart, and introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU. Civil War’s absence from Disney+ means that the new streaming service won’t include any Captain America film.
Doctor Strange
2016’s Doctor Strange tells the origin story of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme and takes a dive into the magical corner of the MCU. Doctor Strange could end up joining the Disney+ lineup of Marvel movies at some point before the Master of the Mystical Arts returns in the sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in May 2021.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Rights issues with Sony will keep Spider-Man movies from appearing on Disney+. Since Spider-Man: Homecoming was distributed by Sony, that means that Disney doesn’t have control over how it’s viewed. And since Disney won’t be purchasing the rights to Spider-Man, this is unlikely to change. Homecoming can be watched on Starz, a network that has had a first-run licensing agreement with Sony Pictures for more than a decade.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
James Gunn’s first cosmic adventure in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy, will launch on Disney+, but without its sequel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is currently streaming on Netflix, which is where it will remain until Netflix’s rights to the movie expire in 2020.
Thor: Ragnarok
Some may wonder why Thor: Ragnarok, the highest-grossing film in the Thor franchise, is missing from Disney+, but the explanation for this is rather simple. Marvel has to honor its deal with Netflix, which has streaming rights to Thor: Ragnarok - for the time being. Disney will regain the rights at the end of 2019.
Black Panther
Black Panther brought in $1.347 billion at the box office and earned three Academy Awards. As one of the MCU’s most successful films - both critically and commercially - Black Panther feels too important to be excluded, but like several other Marvel movies, Netflix has the streaming rights. It will leave Netflix in March, which will open the door for it to be added to Disney+.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War joins Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War, and The Avengers as the biggest omissions from Disney+. Infinity War won’t leave Netflix until late June of next year, so it will be quite a while before Marvel’s second highest grossing movie can join Disney’s streaming service.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
The final film on Netflix’s contract with Marvel was the 2018 film Ant-Man and the Wasp, which starred the duo of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne. The Ant-Man sequel will leave Netflix at the end of July.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
The situation with Spider-Man: Far From Home is the same as Spider-Man: Homecoming. Distribution rights belong to Sony, so fans should have no expectation of ever seeing Spider-Man’s battle with Mysterio on Disney+.
More: Biggest Movies NOT On Disney+ At Launch
- Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08
